On monday I took a train out to imabari to spend the afternoon bike riding across the Shimanami kaido - a series of sevel bridges conecting Shikoku to Honshu via a series of six islands. In a lack of planing I managed to be in the wrong train station and had to ride 10km to the start of the first bridge. The assent to the bridge was a sight to behold - about one kilometre of ramp way that twisted up so that you are finally level with the bridge about 150 meters in the air. The first bridge was 6km long, it was very very fun. Gliding along a bridge up in the air over the inland sea with pitchuesc islands dotted around. Once I got to the first island I folowed the coast around the island passing ship building sights and fishing towns. I had lunch at a rose farm before heading off to the next bridge and the next island. On the second island - i spend a long time just sitting at a look out as the wether was so lovely and the view so spectaculars. Being a little unsure where the port was that i needed to get my ferry from i decided to head there early incase i got lost. With some help form some locals i managed to get to the port, but when i was there i could not figure out how to get a ticket or where the ferry would dock. unfortunately the men i met either fishermen or a taxi driver ( the taxi driver offed that he could drive me the nearly 35 km back!). Someone finally pointed me to a deserted building gesturing that I could get a ticket from there. At this time in was 45 minutes early for the ferry but still had no idea how to get a ticket, so I decided to just sit and listen to music. Twenty minuets later a lady in a car turns up and walks into the empty building that I have been staking out. It turns out that because there are so few ferries each day she goes home between ferries. Very relived that my bike and i had a lift back to Imabari I sat down to watch the sun set. A ferry, bike and train ride later I was back in Matsuyama,and ready to visit the Onsen!
Tuesday
I spent Tuesday morning exploring Matsuyama castle. Lets just say that If I was a Japanese war lord I would not attack that castle. It is extrealmy well defended. Every wall has slots for guns and bows and there were about seven different gates. I have yet to find out if anyone every tried to attack it when it was an active castle and what the out come was. I spent the afternoon traveling from Matsuyama to Hiroshima by train and vegged out in the hostel that night. I really like the Japan Rail net work expeshaly the Shinkansen. Not only do they just look cool but they get you from a to b not only quickly but in comfort. The seats are comfy and the legroom extrealmy generous, a love to sit T the window and look out at the cities, towns, and countryside zoom past.
I spent my first day in Hiroshima visiting the peace park, around three hundred school children had also decided to visit the park. Most had either red, yellow or white hats on so they could be easily recognised as students. The park was very pleasant on a cool autumn day. I then walked over to visit the peace museum. I never knew but the mayor of Hiroshima writes a letter protesting nuclear weapons every time a country dose nuclear tests and sends it to the president/priminister and ambassador of that country. I spent the evening "sampling" saki at the hostel.
Thursday was a very cold wind kind of a day, but against the elements I headed out to Miajima. The 'floaring' pavilions and the gate are truly stunning. High tied was at 11:50am so the hole time I was there I got to see the buildings look as if they were floating on the water. I walked up to the Daisho-in temple up the path of 500 Rakan statues each with its own facial expression. In amongst theses statues of Shaka Nyorai's desiples are statues that look baby like, theses statues are particulaly unnerving ( you can deseide when I upload the photos). Thanks to Steven Mofat statues are eserly seen as sinister and untrustworthy. usually this is not the case with Bhudist statues but these baby ones I can just imagen them moving when im not watching. I also learnt why Jizo Bosatsu wear bibs- something that I had been curious about since Koya-san. It is to keep them warm and protect them, apparently parents that have lost children take particular care of Jizo images as though they were their lost children. The temple complex was very beautiful expeshaly with the autume leaves turning colours. In the afternoon I headed off for Hagi, it is a little out of the way but nothing the JR train system was not up to with some patience on my behalf. I went from Shinkansen to a local line at Asa then a one carriage train from Matsuyama to Hagi. The last section hugged the coast line but as it was after sun set I didn't get to enjoy it until my journey back to Tokyo this morning.
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